Home prices are dropping in the nation’s largest cities and are expected to fall through next year, as fewer people purchase homes and millions of foreclosures come on to the market. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday fell 1.3 percent in October from September. All cities recorded monthly price declines. The last time that happened was in Feb. 2009.
The largest decline was Atlanta. Prices there fell 2.9 percent from a month earlier. Home prices in Washington dropped 0.2 percent in October, the second monthly decline after five straight increases.
Home prices in Dallas, Portland, Ore., Charlotte, N.C., Tampa, Fla. and Denver have fallen for four straight months.
Millions of foreclosures are forcing home prices down and more are expected in the coming year. Many people are holding off on making purchases because they fear the market hasn’t bottomed out, analysts say.
And mortgage rates are rising again. In the last month, rates on fixed mortgages have surged more than a half-point to near 5 percent.
Most experts expect the declines to continue through mid-year with prices on average to lose another 5 percent to 10 percent. The worst price drops will come from cities with a struggling economy and the highest foreclosure rates, while those with better job growth will fare better.
Home prices have declined in 18 of the 20 cities in the past year.